High winds force British duo to abort summit push for 24 hours

23rd May 2011

Richard Parks and Steve Williams have been forced to abort their push for the summit of Everest due to high winds.

Richard updated his team after returning to camp 4 at the South Col at 19:05 stating; “Winds too high, have had to abort summit push.  Extra 24 hours in death zone without planned rations. Going tomorrow night, got plenty of o2 and a good tent so we are all safe”.

The former Wales flanker and two-times Olympic gold medallist now face a 24-hour wait before attempting the summit.

Tomorrow’s conditions look favourable with weather forecasts showing wind speeds decreasing from 40kmh in the morning to 20kmh in the evening followed by further weak winds.

Despite having limited rations in camp 4, the delay will give Richard and Steve a further period of rest, something quite common for Everest climbing teams, as 737 Challenge logistical expert Simon Lowe from Jagged Globe states; “Some teams plan on spending 24 hours at camp 4 so they get a chance to recover from the strain of the climb to just short of 8,000m, so it is not unusual.  The Sherpas have done so many accents between them they know what to do in these winds and it’s sensible to wait for 24 hours”.

Richard Parks is aiming to summit his 5^th summit and 3^rd pole of his world first 737 Challenge, which is raising funds in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.